The most romantic movie of 2017 is about a woman who loves a merman

The most enduring stories last because they're more than the sum of their parts. They're never just about a king, or an orphan girl, or a monster. They stand for something greater and mean something deeper. They offer warning or comfort or instruction, helping us to make our way through the world.

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Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water is about so many things: war, sexuality, cinema, maybe even God. It pits the courage of the marginalized against the casual cruelty of American imperialism. It's a plea for all of us to be kind and brave and good, in a way that actually counts. And all of this comes from a swooning romance about a mute janitor and a fish-man from the sea. Read more...

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